UP Express Union Station

Project Details

Predicated on the use of regional materials expressed purely and elegantly, the design for the 1,700 square meter Union Pearson (“UP”) Express Station at Union Station (“UP Express”) provides an airy and light-filled Toronto terminus for this rail link between downtown and Pearson International Airport. With the intent of the design being to enhance the passenger experience, the project reinterprets and recalls the spirit of the golden era of train travel, creating an impactful and inspired sense of arrival to the city.

The treatment of the 90 metre long station façade features zinc, glass, and steel – materials that integrate the building into its railway environment. The main floor at train level features a lounge space, washrooms and concessions. An upper mezzanine level provides a public lounge with food and beverage service, public washrooms and additional staff and service facilities. An expansive picture window on the platform waiting area provides a view to approaching trains and panoramic views of the city. The platform and mezzanine spaces are designed to ensure abundant natural light for a sense of well-being and to reduce energy use.

The design accommodates both the constraint of the height of the existing
one-storey Skywalk enclosure and a height limit over the railway lands, which
necessitated minimal floor-to-ceiling heights for the mezzanine. The architectural
response emphasizes the ceiling’s form, using wood as a sculptural element to
convey the movement of travel and respond to Metrolinx’s branding requirements. Articulated beams start above the train doors, rise to the waiting lounge ceiling and descend to envelope the mezzanine lounge. The beams extend into the Skywalk to punctuate the station entrance. The use of reconstituted veneer millwork achieves excellent uniformity and quality, using lower grade wood and reducing the project’s environmental impact.

The project contributes to Toronto’s public transit system and reduces vehicular traffic with its convenient, comfortable and environmentally superior option for travelers to reach their destinations, from air to rail to subway. The station also provides a fully accessible connection along Toronto’s PATH pedestrian system. The project is a terminal stop for the UP Express rail line, with the intent of the design being to enhance the passenger experience.